gameofthronesfanonfandomcom-20200222-history
Ronnel Cordon
Roland Erastes is the Lord of Southwall, Shield of the Coast and the Warden of the Narrow Sea. The head of House Erastes, he is one of the more powerful lords, but does not have the power of a Tywin Lannister or lack for political ambition. He is the husband of the late Katerena Erastes and the father of Niobe Erastes, Willem Erastes and Ava Erastes as well as the father of a bastard son Caledon Waters and a bastard daughter Diana Waters. Character and Appearance Roland is a politically astute and highly intelligent individual who views war as an unnecessary way to gain power, but is quite knowledgeable of military strategy. He is known for his seemingly deferential behavior when dealing with those of higher prestige than himself which lulls his enemies into a false sense of security. In his youth, he was described as man who was a skilled warrior (made all the more clear as he bested one of the Kingsguard during the Sack of King's Landing) but even more skilled with oration. Roland is a tall, thin man in his late sixties who still possess all of his teeth and maintains quite robust health despite his weakened and frail appearance. He has white hair, formerly black, and brown eyes which all of his children have inherited. Background Roland was the firstborn son of Draco Erastes and his wife, Rosamund Frey, and was raised the heir of Southwall, a castle positioned as a barrier to attacks from the Narrow Sea. He is their only child to survive into childhood and adulthood as his mother suffered numerous miscarriages and stillbirths. Because of these tragedies, Roland was fostered by his father's longtime friend, Lord Gunthor Estermont, as his mother was deemed unstable by his father and would soon die after her son left Southwall for Greenstone. Roland believed for several years that his father murdered his mother, but kept such suspicions to himself. He took part in the War of the Ninepenny Kings, giving him a taste for war and military strategy. He rejected the former as a waste of time, but viewed the latter as a sort of learning tree for his future political ambitions. It was also during this time, he fathered his bastard daughter, Diana, and would return to Southwall with the child, who he chose to raise in his ancestral home (a rare act by any noble). He became the Lord of Southwall after his father's death shortly after the old man's 85th nameday, which was (coincidentally) the nameday of Roland's bastard son, Caledon. Rumors persist that Roland had his father murdered in retaliation for his mother's death years earlier. At 47, Roland married the 18-year-old daughter of one of his bannerman, Katerena Mayer, and they were soon blessed with a daughter, Niobe. However, their happiness was interrupted by the War of the Usurper (Robert's Rebellion). For centuries, House Erastes was a neutral party in most wars (only joining when it served their interests), and Roland held strong to this tradition, allowing any and all to use Southwall as a resting place. However, Roland was not as complacent with tradition, utilizing the use of Southwall as his threatened interest. He allowed for Prince Rhaegar's closest ally, blood brother and friend, Lord Raymund Sutherland, to seek sanctuary in Southwall. Knowing that Rhaegar was in hiding, biding his time to battle Robert, Roland made his move. Constructing a hammer not unlike Robert's, he and his henchmen, led by Ser Oryn Norfolk, murdered Sutherland and his men, slaughtered a group of his own people and burning a portion of Southwall in the process, forcing it seem as though (to Robert and the rebels) Sutherland had attacked them, violating guest right. This move worked and Rhaegar, believing that Robert had attacked a neutral house still loyal to him, met Robert at the Battle of the Trident. This would lead to Rhaegar's death and the fall of the Targaryen dynasty. Roland and his bannerman rode to King's Landing after receiving word that Lord Tywin Lannister had declared his intentions of helping the rebels. He took part in the Sack of King's Landing but, upon learning of the deaths of Elia Martell, wife of Prince Rhaegar, and her children at the hands of Ser Gregor Clegane, chose to leave the city in disgust. He would later confess to his son, Caledon, that he knew the children of Rhaegar had to die to secure Robert's throne, but he felt that the method of which it happened was too brutal. Instead, he chose to sail before Stannis Baratheon to Dragonstone to capture the remaining Targaryens (in order to truly cement his loyalty) and crossed swords with Ser Willem Darry, who injured him during the battle. He would name his only trueborn son after the knight. After the war, Roland and Katerena were blessed with two more children, a son, Willem, and another daughter, Ava. Season One Season Two Season Three Season Four Season Five Category:Male Category:Characters Category:Nobles Category:Status: Alive Category:Characters from the Crownlands